Philip Reeves

Alex Ferguson: A Legendary Manager For An Iconic Franchise

Philip Reeves — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:23:00 +0000

The resignation of veteran Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is an event causing ripples that go way beyond the island where the Scotsman spent his long and illustrious career.

Walk into a bar pretty much anywhere from Buenos Aires to Bangkok, mention Ferguson or his star-studded team of Red Devils, and you can be sure of a lively conversation — and perhaps a heated argument.

Ferguson's name is not always greeted with warmth, especially by supporters

For Some Britons, Thatcher's Death Provokes Celebrations

Philip Reeves — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:14:00 +0000

A young man is parading the streets of the city of Glasgow with a slogan daubed onto the back of his black leather jacket in big, freshly painted white letters. "We're havin' a party," it declares. "Thatcher's dead."

In what was the coal belt of northern England, a burly former miner lights up an enormous cigar and takes a satisfied puff.

Margaret Thatcher's Life And Legacy In Britain

Philip Reeves — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:03:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

On a Monday, it is MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm David Greene.

Britain and the world are reflecting this morning on the life of Margaret Thatcher. The former British prime minister has died at the age of 87. Britain's current Prime Minister David Cameron remembered her this way.

(SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH)

PRIME MINISTER DAVID CAMERON: As our first woman prime minister, Margaret Thatcher succeeded against all the odds. And the real thing about Margaret Thatcher is that she didn't just lead our country. She saved our country.

Exiled Russian Oligarch's Death Launches Probe

Philip Reeves — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:42:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And police in Britain are piecing together the final days in the life of a Russian oligarch named Boris Berezovsky. They hope this may shed light on his sudden death this last weekend. Berezovsky used to be one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in Russia. Then he fell out with the Kremlin and sought asylum in Britain. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

PHILIP REEVES, BYLINE: No history book about the collapse of the Soviet Union is complete without the name of Boris Berezovsky.

Britain Goes After Pot Growers With 'Scratch And Sniff' Cards

Philip Reeves — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:35:00 +0000

For many years, across the world, the extraordinarily powerful noses of dogs have been successfully used to help detect crime.

Now, in Britain, moves are under way to recruit humans to perform the same subtle work.

Police are encouraging the British to step out of their homes, raise their nostrils aloft, and see if they catch the whiff of wrongdoing wafting from the next-door neighbors.

Visitors to these crowded islands are often charmed by the small redbrick terraced houses that are in every town and city.

But law enforcement agencies here say the attics and backrooms of some of these

A Rough Guide To The Papal Conclave

Philip Reeves — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:11:00 +0000

The stage is now set for the opening act of one of the more spectacular and intriguing theatrical dramas on the planet: the election of a pope.

In Rome, TV camera crews have set up their positions on big platforms overlooking St.

The Hermit Pope Who Set The Precedent For Benedict XVI

Philip Reeves — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:24:00 +0000

Beneath a glass coffin, wearing a pontiff's miter and faded vestments of gold and purple, there lies a tiny man with a wax head.

This represents an Italian priest who, until this month, was the only pope in history to voluntarily resign.

His name is Celestine V.

Celestine became pope at 84, some seven centuries ago, after a long and self-punishing career as a hermit.

Though a celebrated spiritual leader, and founder of a new branch of the Benedictine order, his papacy lasted just over five months.

Celebrated British Writer Derides Kate Middleton As 'Shop-Window Mannequin'

Philip Reeves — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 22:24:00 +0000

One of Britain's most celebrated authors has launched a withering attack on the Duchess of Cambridge, the pregnant wife of Prince William, branding her a "shop-window mannequin" with a plastic smile whose only role in life is to breed. Prime Minister David Cameron described award-winning writer Hilary Mantel as "misguided" after she likened the former Kate Middleton to a "machine made" doll, devoid of personality.

British Outrage Grows As Horsemeat Pops Up In More Foods

Philip Reeves — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 12:47:00 +0000

They like riding them. They like racing them.

A Dash Of Olive Oil May Preserve Decaying British Cathedral

Philip Reeves — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 22:42:00 +0000

The British have some stunning cathedrals, and York Minster, in the north of England, is one of the most magnificent of all.

Construction on it began 800 years ago, and a mere 2 1/2 centuries later, work was complete.

The result was one of Europe's largest Gothic cathedrals and one that's had a rough ride through history: It's been pillaged and looted, and damaged by devastating fires and lightning strikes.

Today, there's another threat: acid rain. As a result, the cathedral's stones are decaying.

British scientists and archaeologists have teamed up to try to find a solution.

On Multiple Fronts, Russian Jews Reshape Israel

Philip Reeves — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 20:58:00 +0000

Many signs are in the Cyrillic alphabet. The men and women sitting in the cafes are speaking Russian. The shops sell vodka, black bread, pickled herring and Russian-brewed Baltika beer. You have to pinch yourself to remember where you are.

This scene, with all its echoes of the former Soviet Union, is not in St. Petersburg or Vladivostok, or anywhere else in that vast sweep of bleak northern lands.

In Cornall, Lisa Simpson Rivals Queen Elizabeth

Philip Reeves — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 11:30:00 +0000

In Britain, every year on Christmas Day, the Queen delivers a speech to her subjects. Recently in Cornwall, which is part of England, a new royal tradition has taken root based on an episode of The Simpsons.

Israeli Settlement Plan

Philip Reeves — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 09:57:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

For years the United States has urged the Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate a peace accord based on a two-state solution. Well, there are growing concerns within the international community that the chances of that ever happening are dimming.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

The Palestinians angered Israel last week by securing a symbolically important vote at the United Nations General Assembly, upgrading their status from a non-member entity to a non-member state.

Israel-Hamas Cease-Fire Holds

Philip Reeves — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 21:13:00 +0000

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

The cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is only two days old, and already both sides claim it's been violated. At issue are the circumstances surrounding the killing today of a Palestinian by the Israeli military. NPR's Philip Reeves reports from Gaza City.

PHILIP REEVES, BYLINE: It's early afternoon. Rain sweeps in from the sea. The potholed lanes of Gaza turn into rivers. In a mosque near the beach, Friday prayers are under way. Ismail Haniya is here. He's the political leader of Hamas in Gaza.

Pakistan Fears Afghan Spillover Of Chaos, Refugees

Philip Reeves — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 19:44:00 +0000

Burhan Khan can't remember exactly when he fled from Afghanistan to Pakistan. He thinks it was about 30 years ago.

"Because there was war.